News Sports Cricket Sri Lanka Cricket amends constitution for 'good governance and transparency'

Sri Lanka Cricket amends constitution for 'good governance and transparency'

Sri Lanka Cricket drafted its constitution after the team's triumph at the 1996 ODI World Cup. Since then, there have been little to no reforms to the constitution of the cricketing governing body.

A Sri Lankan cricket fan. Image Source : GETTY IMAGESA Sri Lankan cricket fan.

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has "approved significant changes" to its constitution to reaffirm its commitment to "fostering good governance, transparency, inclusivity, and efficiency in its management structure".

The highlight of the development is the substantial reduction in votes - from 147 to 60. The decision was taken during a general meeting of the board on Friday and is likely to do away with the internal politics and the uncalled interference which often act as a roadblock in the board's functioning.

These amendments were long due as many of the 147 votes belonged to defunct provincial associations and cricket clubs.

"The new voting structure ensures that voting rights are determined solely based on the level of cricket played by each member club, with all qualified clubs and associations being entitled to only one vote. This marks a pivotal step towards equitable representation and streamlined decision-making," an SLC press release on the latest development read.

Notably, Sri Lanka Cricket has been through some torrid times in the recent past. The SLC was suspended by the International Cricket Council (ICC) in November last year due to extensive interference of the country's government in its administration.

"The ICC Board met today and determined that Sri Lanka Cricket is in serious breach of its obligations as a Member, in particular, the requirement to manage its affairs autonomously and ensure that there is no government interference in the governance, regulation and/or administration of cricket in Sri Lanka," the ICC said in a statement. "The conditions of the suspension will be decided by the ICC Board in due course," the ICC had stated in its press release.

SLC copped the brunt of the suspension as the ICC moved the U19 Men's World Cup 2024 from the island nation to South Africa, days after announcing the provisional suspension.

The provisional suspension was lifted by the International Cricket Council on January 28 after it was satisfied that the SLC was "no longer in breach of membership obligations".